Pick Me
by LazyDreamerMF
Summary: After finally becoming engaged to Edward, Bella is going to Forks, Washington to meet his family for the first time. But what happens when she meets a certain pixie? A/U  I suck at summaries!
1. Chapter 1

**Pick Me - Chapter 1**

"Are you sure they'll even like me?" Bella's eyes shifted towards Edward from the passenger seat. His emerald colored eyes gleamed with excitement and happiness as he flashed her his charming crooked smile.

"Of course, Bella." He said before he leaned towards Bella and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. A light blush stretched across the girl's face - like always when he kissed her. "My parents are accepting of everyone, even..Mary Alice." Edward scrunched his nose in disgust as if someone had just told him something horrible or he got a whiff of a sewer.

At that, Bella rose an eyebrow. "Mary Alice? Your..baby sister, right?" Edward nodded. She was the only one of his family Edward hardly ever mentioned. If he did have to talk about her, it was brief and usually ended with him in a bad mood. Something Bella didn't understand. What was so wrong with Mary Alice? Bella's brow furrowed in confused, and she was about to ask Edward why he showed such distaste towards his sister when he spoke up.

"We're here!" Edward exclaimed as he pulled into the driveway of a massive house. Her put the car into park, and began to climb out of the car when the front door of the house swung open, revealing a grown woman.

"Eddie!" Exclaimed the woman as she rushed outside, and down the steps to the driveway. Bella stepped out of the car and looked up at it in amazement. When she looked over at her fiance, the woman's arms were wrapped tightly around him. Bella chuckled at the sight.

"Uuuugh! Mom!" Edward groaned. "You know not to..call me that. Can you let go now?" The woman laughed softly before releasing him. Bella laughed as well then took in the woman's appearance. Her copper-colored hair matched Edward's perfectly, and when they both looked over at Bella, she could also see the similarities in their facial structures and their eyes. "Mom, this is Bella...my..fiance," he said with a silly grin, as if he were a teenager who had found his first love. "Bella, this is my mother, Esme."

By the time he had finished, Esme and Edward had met Bella in front of the car. Bella held out her hand, but was instead pulled in for a hug. "Yay~ Another daughter!" Esme squeaked out happily, causing both Edward and Bella to chuckle.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen." Esme pulled away; her smile vanished from her face and her eyes seemed serious. Bella flinched at the sight because she knew that look. She was about to be scolded. She shut her eyes and prepared herself...

"Don't call me Mrs. Cullen. It makes me feel old. Esme will do just fine." She then patted Bella's head and turned towards Edward who was grinning. Bella slowly opened one eyes, peeking out at the mother and son. "What's wrong with her? She looks like I was about to beat her or something..." Esme mused as she took Edward's arm in her own and began to lead him off towards the house.

"But Mom, I need to get our luggage!" Edward protested, but Esme easily brushed it off.

"You and Emmett can get it later. Right now your siblings want to see you, and meet your lovely fiance."

\x/x\x/

Once inside, Bella was lead into the family room. Her eyes widened at all the things in it. A large, grand piano, a 72 inch plasma screen TV with every game system currently out, a huge couch, large enough to fit an entire football team - and not a high school football team, a major league football team, they're bigger..right? Bella's eyes scanned over the room in utter amazement. Not only did it have the best stuff on the market, but the decor was absolutely beautiful. It gave off a homey feeling that reminded Bella of her mother's home back in Jacksonville, Florida.

"Bella, let me introduce you to the others." Esme interrupted Bella's thoughts. The first one that Esme motioned to was tall, slender-looking blond. She was lounging on the couch with a Cosmo magazine, though she didn't look very interested in. "This is my oldest daughter, Rosalie." The blond's eyes shifted towards Bella, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable. The blond's held her gaze for moment before looking back to her magazine. The next one was a large man sitting on the couch a few inches from Rosalie, an Xbox controller in his hand. Bella's eyes shifted towards the TV screen to see what he was playing, and of course...it was Call of Duty: Black Ops. That explained the sound of gunshots and explosions, Bella concluded. "This is Emmett, Rosalie's husband." The man turned his head and flashed a large smile in Bella's direction.

"Bought time you two got here! I've been waiting forever!" He exclaimed in a booming voice. At first it made Bella wince, but she knew she would eventually get used to him. After all, she was going to be in Forks for a while - several months in fact.

Outside, the sound of a car's engine could be heard, then the sound of two car doors being shut. Faintly, Bella could hear chatting between two people, before finally they came into her view. One was a tall blond male who was probably a year or two older than Esme. Bella assumed it was Edward's father, Carisle, and the other...

She was unlike anyone Bella had ever seen. She stood at 4 foot 11 inches, her eyes were golden, and her hair was short, black, and styled in spikes that went in every different direction. Her eyes were almond shaped with golden caramel color that swirled around black pupils. Bella stared at her for a moment transfixed until the girl looked away from the man and towards Bella. Their eyes locked from across the room, and Bella felt butterflies flutter around in her stomach. She felt the young woman's eyes rake over her body, taking in her appearance, and she suddenly felt as though she should have worn better clothes because the girl before her was dressed in all designer clothes. A knee-length, black pencil skirt, 4 inch black high heels, and a white button up blouse.

"Bella, this is my husband Carisle," Esme began, Bella hadn't even noticed she had moved beside Carisle. She had been to busy ogling the pixie-looking girl beside him. "And this is our youngest daughter, Mary Alice."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Thanks for the reviews to those who left one. :] _**

**_* No, the Cullens are not vampires. As for Edward being verbally abusive..well, I haven't really figured everything out yet. _**

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**Pick Me - Chapter 2**

Usually at a family dinner with the Cullens, everyone is talking about their day, their plans for the weekend, and blah blah blah. But not tonight; well, with the exception of Edward who spoke up every once in a while to speak about the wedding. Only yesterday, Bella had been plenty happy to hear Edward's ideas for the wedding, but today something just felt different. It irked her that he couldn't hold a normal conversation unless it was about the wedding, and the dreamy look on his face when he mentioned it made her feel ill. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? Bella was the girl. Not Edward.

"So I was thinking..." Edward began; surely it was something about the wedding, so Bella decided she would just tune him out - something she had learned long ago when they first started dating. Her fork pushed around the potatoes on her plate, careful not to get them anywhere near the peas. No way she was going to eat them if they got mixed in with the..peas. Ew. "Is that alright with you, Rose?" Huh? What? Bella's eyes shifted up to look at Edward then moved to Rosalie.

"Sorry, Ed. Can't tomorrow. I've got a big meeting with a client tomorrow." Oh. Work. Boring...Bella's eyes moved back to her potatoes as she sighed, but then slowly lifted up to look at Alice who sat across the table from Edward who sat to her right. This pixie-looking woman was grinning at her - apparently watching her as she played with her food. A light blush crept across her cheeks, and instantly her head tilted downward. Dark hair cascaded around her heart-shaped face, covering up the blush until Edward reached over and tucked a strand behind her right ear.

"Bella? Love, how many times have I told you to keep your hair out of your beautiful face." He whispered to her in a gentle voice. Normally when Edward spoke to Bella so tenderly she would smile and blush a little, but at the moment, she became extremely annoyed with him.

She rarely allowed people to touch her hair, he knew that; and now everyone could see her blush. Though at least now they wouldn't think it was for some stupid reason like being watched by their young, very pixie-looking daughter, but instead by being talking to in such a gentle manner by her fiance. "Mm..yeah, ok." Bella managed to say. Her eyes shifted towards Alice for a brief moment. The pixie's smile was gone, replaced with a solemn look.

"I'll take her tomorrow, Edward. I was planning on going shopping with Jazz and a couple of his friends anyway." Jazz? Was that her boyfriend? For some reason that _irritated_ Bella. Irritated her beyond comprehension. "I'm sure they won't mind if Bella tags along."

Bella smiled hopefully at Alice then shifted her attention towards Edward. All traces of love and tenderness left him as his eyes shifted towards his younger sister. "No, no." Bella's smile fell at his tone. What was his problem? "Bella and I can spend more time with Mom and Dad."

"Actually..." Esme interrupted. Everyone's eyes shifted to her, and Esme suddenly looked nervous with so many eyes upon her. "..Carisle and I are going to re-doing the guest bathroom...so..we're going to be out buying supplies tomorrow."

Edward rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well that's fine. Bella and I can have some quality alone time together. We haven't been able to spend much time together since she's been busy with work and all." He gave her his charming smile, but Bella just stared at him.

"Edward, I think I'd rather go shopping with Alice. After all, in a few months she'll be my..er..sister. So I should get to know her before then." Edward's face fell in disappointment, but he quickly shook it off; giving her a quick 'yeah, ok' before he thrust his fork into his stake and lifted a piece to his mouth. Obviously not happy. Bella rolled her eyes then flashed a smile at Alice who was grinning from ear to ear. "So who all am I going to meet tomorrow? Jazz, that's.." Alice took a sip of her white wine; her eyes never leaving Bella, "your boyfriend?" Alice nearly choked, but quickly composed herself.

"No. _Noooo_. No way. _Not_ my boyfriend." Yes! Mental victory arm pump. Now it was Bella's turn to grin. "I'm dating his best friend, Maria." Woah, what? "Going on two years now, actually." Bella stared at Alice with a blank expression; trying to comprehend what she had just said. Maria, three months..._girlfriend_? She's..

"You're _gay_?"

Alice took a small bite from her salad, and nodded her head. "Yup, came out when I was fourteen. That doesn't bother you or anything, does it?"

A small smile flashed across her lips as Bella spoke, "No! Nope! Not at all. It's your life." Bella's voice raised a few octanes, almost matching how high Alice's voice sounded - though it was far from beautiful like hers. Then suddenly it hit Bella like giant boulder smacking her in the head. She was gay. **THAT** was why Edward showed such distaste for her! Her eyes shifted towards Edward. "You- " She didn't finish. She knew such a question would cause a fight between them, and she didn't want to fight in front of his family. "Nevermind."

\x/x\x/

After finding out Alice was gay, the rest of dinner went on in complete silence. It didn't bother Bella though. It gave her several ideas to punish Edward for his homophobia. Not only was it wrong, but it was his sister. Shouldn't she be an exception? Once inside the guest bedroom, Edward spoke. "Since Mom and Dad are renovating our bathroom, you'll have to go to the room next door and use that bathroom, ok?" He asked, flashing a loving smile in Bella's direction. Bella nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Edward fiddled with his tie, attempting to get it off as he made his way towards their luggage that sat in the corner of the room. "Edward..your sister is gay." Bella stated.

Edward froze; his body stiff as he turned towards Bella. "I know...I'm sorry, Bella. I should have told you ahead of time. I should have prepared you for that. I'm so sorry. You don't have to hang out with her tomorrow. I wouldn't hold it against you or anything."

"I know you wouldn't." Bella stood. "Because...you're a _homophobe_." His emerald eyes widened before quickly turning into a glare. "Alice can't help that she prefers girls. Get over it, Edward."

Edward stalked towards her. A look in her eyes she had never seen directed at her, and the only time she had seen it was when he had beaten up some drunks that were harassing her. "She's gay, Bella. She goes against the Bible, she goes against everything this country stands for!"

Now Bella was becoming pissed off. Her eyes narrowed on her fiance. "She. Can't. Help. It! What if..what if YOU were gay? You wouldn't want everyone shunning you! Alice probably gets it wherever she goes, but she should be able to be around her own family without getting a disapproving look from her brother!"

_**SLAP**_. Bella heard it before she felt it. When her eyes opened, she was on the floor, shocked that he had actually slapped her. Her right hand moved to her cheek, lightly ghosting her fingers over where he had slapped her. She winced as pain erupted along the red surface. "Oh God..Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry."

He began moving towards her, but Bella held up a hand to stop him. "No. You stay right the fuck over there." She stood up from the floor, glaring at Edward then stalked off towards the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, locked it, and began to examine her cheek in the mirror. It was definitely going to be bruised tomorrow. "Shit." She whispered. Bella sucked in a deep breath then sighed. She then left the bathroom, and walked right by Edward. She didn't acknowledge him. She knelt down by her suitcase and unzipped it. She pulled out a pair of jeans for tomorrow, a tee-shirt, and sleeping clothes for that night then turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

"Next door." She turned and shot Edward an angry glare. "I don't want to even be in the same room with you right now." With that she shut the door to the guest bedroom and moved down the hall to her left. When she got to the door, she easily pushed it open.

"Bella?"

The woman lifted her head to see who was speaking to her. On the bed sat Alice, nail polish in hand, and apparently painting her toe nails. "Oh! I'm sorry, Alice!"

"No, no, it's ok." She replaced the cap on the nail polish, and met Bella's eyes. Suddenly she gasped. "Oh gosh! Bella! What happened?" She hopped off the bed and hurried towards the taller brunette. She took the clothes from her hands, threw them on the bed and leaned forward to examine the mark the slap had left.

"I uh.." Bella suddenly found it hard to breathe. Alice was extremely close. Her smell was intoxicating, and she could literally feel Alice's warm breath against her skin. "I..um...ran into something?"

"Bullshit..." Alice mumbled as she stepped back. "You're going to have to cover th- Did he hit you?" She shrieked as she realized where the mark had come from. Her caramel colored eyes widened in disbelief.

"No, no, Alice, it was an accident."

"Then why are you in here?" The pixie crossed her arms over her chest, and stared at Bella. "Hm?"

"To..uh..u-use the bathroom." She pointed towards the open door a few feet away. "Ours is being renovated, remember?"

Alice's lips formed a small 'o' then she nodded her head. "Oh yeah. Sorry, forgot. But still..." Alice frowned. "Why don't you stay in here with me for tonight? We can get to know each other a bit more before tomorrow." At the words, a few ideas popped into Bella's mind. A dark blush stretched over her cheeks, and she quickly shook her head. Alice giggled, and Bella instantly decided it was one of her favorite sounds.

"Well..I..I really don't want to go back to Edward tonight." Bella frowned, and Alice nodded her head in understanding.

"Alright, great."

\x/x\x/

Several minutes later, after setting up the bed for two people, Alice settled on the taller one, and curled up beneath a fluffy pink and purple blanket while Bella curled up beneath a heavy white and black blanket with the image of a panda on one side after changing into her night clothes. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Alice finally questioned. Her head tilting towards the side just a bit. Bella shrugged her shoulders indifferently, causing Alice to let out a sigh. "Ok, we'll play twenty questions, and as much as you might hate the question, you HAVE to answer it, ok?"

Bella nodded her head. "Ok, you first."

"Whats your favorite color?" Alice asked quickly.

"Red. What's your favorite movie?"

"_Imagine Me & You_." Alice nodded her head.

"Ohh. Don't tell me you like all those cheesy romantic comedies!" Bella exclaimed while Alice only grinned.

"I am. What's your favorite movie?"

"_Resident Evil: Afterlife_. Hands down. Milla Jovovich kicked ass in it!" Alice giggled and nodded her head.

"Yeah. Milla was super hot in that." Bella raised an eyebrow then shook her head while laughing. "What? She was! As any guy!"

"Ok, ok. My turn. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an art teacher at Forks High School." Alice stated with a large smile.

"Oh really? I bet that's cool. Do you get harassed by students daily?"

"Hey! You just asked a question. It's my turn." Alice stuck out her tongue, and Bella rolled her eyes. "How many boyfriends have you had, and what are their names?"

Bella grimaced at the question. "Do I have to answer that?"

"Yup! You agreed to answer anything I asked!" Alice stated triumphantly.

"Fine. My first boyfriend was my best friend Jacob Black, from . My second boyfriend...well that would be Edward." A small frown stretched over Bella's lips, and Alice's brow knitted in confusion.

"Are you not happy with Edward..?"

Bella opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She closed her mouth a sighed quietly; searching for the appropriate words. "No, I am."

Alice stared hard at Bella before sighing herself. "Right."

"I am Alice. He makes me happier than anyone ever has."

"Despite him hitting you?"

"It was one time." Bella whispered as she hung her head, and after several minutes in silence, she repositioned herself on the bed and laid her head against the pillow. "We should go to sleep since we'll be busy shopping tomorrow." Bella's tone was soft and serious at the same time. All traces of happiness seemed to have vanished.

"Alright...Sweet dreams, Bella."

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**_A/N: Leave reviews, questions, suggestions, criticism, whatever you like. _**

**_Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. _**


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: Thanks guys for the reviews. :] I really appreciate it. This chapter is dedicated to my two number one fans. ;) Hope you like it!_**

_**P.S.: Te quiero means "I love you" in Spanish...I think. o.O *shrugs***_

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"_Beeeeellaaaaa_~" An angelic, bell-like voice sang early in the morning as the sound of curtains being pulled apart appeared, and sunlight pored through the now open window. A groan left Bella, and she quickly rolled onto her stomach then buried her face into her pillow. "Time to get up, sleepyhead!" The voice said again, this time much closer. Suddenly Bella felt weight on her bed then the sound of squeaking springs as the weight was lifted then quickly replaced and repeated. "Get up, get up, get uuuuuuup~!" The voice sang. Bella rolled over onto her side, and pried open her right eyes to shoot a menacing glare at the person who woke her up.

When her eyes met the caramel-colored orbs of Alice Cullen, the glare quickly disappeared. How could anyone be mad at such an angel? "Give me five more minutes, Ali. Please?" Alice giggled and quickly shook her head.

"No way,_ Bells_." She said, emphasizing the nick name. "You need to get up and get ready. We have a shopping date planned for today." Bella could tell by the tone of Alice's voice that she loved shopping. Another groan fell from her lips because Bella hated shopping. With a passion.

"Fine, butt-head." She grumbled as she pushed the covers off her body. Instantly she felt cold, and she wanted to pull them back over her. Alice giggled in front of her before lowering her eyes. Her giddiness suddenly gone. Bella rose an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak. "Al-"

"It's gonna take a lot of make-up to cover that up good." Alice said calmly. For a moment, Bella remained clueless until images of last night flashed across her mind...

"Oh...right." She stumbled out then sighed. Bella got to her feet and grabbed the clean clothes she'd brought from the other night, and made her way into the bathroom.

\x/x\x/

Bella had just finished showering, and pulled on her clean clothes when she heard shouting outside the bathroom door. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Edward shouted, Bella cringed at the sound. She was so unused to him cursing, it sounded unnatural... "Bella slept in here last night! You better have kept your filthy hands to yourself you disgusting - "

"EDWARD!" Bella shouted as she threw the bathroom door open. Her eyes were narrowed into tiny slits as she stalked towards Edward as if he wore something she were about to kill. "How _DARE_ you talk to your sister that way! She has done _NOTHING_ wrong!" Edward turned and fixated his gaze upon Bella. His eye twitched ever so slightly when he saw the bruise that had formed over her right cheek.

"Bella, Love, this has nothing to do with you. Please-.."

"Like hell I'm going to let you come in here and shout at her when she hasn't done anything." Bella growled angrily. "And I'm still pissed off about last night. So get out. When I want to talk to you again, I'll come find you. Got it?" She hissed the question, her eyes still narrowed on her fiance. Though at the moment, she wanted nothing to do with him. Edward looked at her utterly confused as to why she was taking up for Alice, and to be completely honest, Bella didn't know why. Maybe she just felt sorry for her because her brother was acting like a douche towards her? Edward pouted for a moment then nodded his head and left the room; slamming the door shut behind him.

"Bella..you didn't have to take up for me. I can take care of myself." Alice said after a few seconds in silence.

Her golden hues locked with Bella's brown ones. Bella's throat suddenly felt dry, and she felt unable to break her gaze. "I know..but..he shouldn't have been doing that." Bella stated, attempting to keep her voice calm and even. She barely succeeded. Alice flashed a thankful smile before she frowned again.

"C'mon, I'm tired of looking at that bruise, lets cover it up." Bella nodded and dumped off her night clothes onto her bed. Then she felt a warm hand take her own; tingles erupted along the surface of her skin. Bella's eyes shifted downward to their joined hands. A slight blush spread over her cheeks as a smile slowly played across her lips.

\x/x\x/

Alice ended up talking Bella into letting her do her entire make-up for the day, meaning when she was finally finished, Bella looked gorgeous. "Beyond gorgeous." As Alice had said. Then hours later, she and Bella had picked up a tall, young blond man who Bella quickly found out was Jasper, and a Spanish-looking, young woman Bella found out was Maria. Though Bella had started out in shotgun next to Alice, she was quickly pushed aside by Maria, and forced to sit in the back with Jasper the entire ride up to Seattle.

"Ok, so, now that everyone is in here, lets get the introductions out of the way." Alice stated with a grin, her eyes shifted to the rearview mirror for a brief second then moved back to the road. "Jasper, Maria, this is Edward's...er, fiance, Bella. Bella, this is Jasper, my best friend since first grade, and Maria my girlfriend for one-"

"Almost two." Maria cut in.

"years." Maria reached for Alice's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before she leaned towards Alice's ear.

"_Te quiero_." Maria purred into Alice's ear, causing her to shutter. Alice's eyes fell closed for only a second before she turned, her lips pressed to Maria's gently then they parted. Bella stared in disgust at the display. Her brown eyes fell, and she stared hard at the floorboard of the yellow porsche. Jasper's eyes shifted towards Bella, and he rose a questioning eyebrow; however, Bella just ignored him. She felt as though her blood was literally boiling, and that her stomach was doing flips inside her.

The rest of the car ride went along in almost complete silence; though every once in a while Jasper would ask someone a question, usually Bella. Where did she work, what her hobbies were, just casual conversation material, but at the moment, Bella didn't feel like much like talking. When they all got to the mall, they climbed out of the sports car, and headed towards the entrance to the mall. Alice and Maria walked ahead of Bella and Jasper; both holding the other's hand tightly. Bella's eyes stayed glued to the ground until finally, Jasper leaned towards her. "Is something wrong?" He whispered in his strong southern accented voice. Bella shook her head no. "Please, Bella, I'm a trained phycologist. You appear to hold something against..." his head tilted towards Alice and Maria, "homosexuals."

"What? No. No. That's not it." She quickly stated. Her brown orbs shifted towards his dazzling blue ones. He grinned.

"Then what is it?"

"I just..I don't know." Bella's brow furrowed slightly then she sighed. "Alice and Maria just don't seem," she hesitated, looking for the appropriate word, "right." She finally decided. "Like..Alice could do..better..? I don't know..."

"Trust me Bella. That girl couldn't do better.." His eyes drifted towards Maria, and a small sigh escaped his lips. "Maria is the best." Now it was Bella's turn to raise an eyebrow. Her eyes shifted from Jasper to Maria then back again.

"Wait..do you..? Do you like Maria?" A faint blush stretched over the blond's cheeks at the words.

"Huh? Uh, no. Ew. She's my best friend..."

"You do like her." A large grin stretched over Bella's lips. "You like her!" She exclaimed, and was quickly shushed by Jasper. Bella's smile then faltered slightly. Maria was to dense. By staying with Alice..not only was she hurting Alice's chances of finding someone better..she was also causing Jasper - who seemed like a perfectly nice guy - pain. Bella's eyes shifted towards Maria and she glared hard at the back of her head.

Moments later, the woman turned and grinned at the two of them. "C'mon you slow pokes. Quit whispering back there and get your asses up here and join the damn conversation!"

Jasper grinned and nodded to her. "Yeah, mmkay." His pace quickened, and Bella's did to so she wouldn't get to far behind.

\x/x\x/

The day seemed to drag by slowly for Bella. Not only was it spent with non stop shopping, but Alice forced her to try on all sorts of clothing in every store. She just didn't understand that Bella didn't like trying things on. Each time Alice found something that was even remotely cute, she would force it into Bella's arms, and direct her towards the changing room. And each time she did, Bella would whine and protest; ultimately having some sort of excuse not to buy it. It didn't fit right, the material felt weird, it showed to much cleavage, she didn't like the style.

The day finally ended with Bella having sore feet, a few new outfits, and a stomach full of cheddar biscuits from eating at Red Lobster. The ride home went by fairly quickly seeing as Bella held easy conversation with Jasper and Alice while Maria slept in the backseat with her head resting on Jasper's shoulder. When Bella would look back at him, he always seemed to be completely comfortable and happy with her using him as a human pillow, and in all honesty, the two would have made a pretty cute couple.

They dropped Maria off first, giving the excuse that Jasper could carry her in and put her to bed without having to wake her. Then they dropped off Jasper. When Alice and Bella finally arrived back at the Cullen house, it was around 10:30 PM. "So I had fun today. What about you, Bella?" Alice asked, flashing one of her wonderful, Alice Cullen smile.

"Fun? I dunno. My feet are killing me now, and probably will be until the wedding." She laughed dryly, but Alice apparently didn't find the joke at all funny.

"You're still marrying my brother? Even though he..hit you?" Alice asked in a tiny voice. Her eyes were glued to the ground as they moved towards the steps of the house.

"Yeah. It was..it was just one time. It won't happen again." Bella replied hesitantly. Bella was no genius about family or siblings seeing as her parents were divorced most of her life and she had no brothers or sisters, but shouldn't Alice be happy for her brother? Apparently not.

"Just once? That's always how it starts out...isn't it..?" Bella's lips tightened into a straight line at the words. Alice's eyes shifted towards Bella and instantly she began to back-peddle herself. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you both and all..it's just..." Alice bit her lower lip gently, and Bella's eyes shifted from her golden eyes to her rose petal-colored lips. For some reason she felt the urge to kiss her, the way she bit her lip made it look cute and irresistible, but it was at those thoughts that drew Bella's attention to how close she and Alice were. Bella leaned away and forced her eyes back to Alice's. "I think you could do better, Bella."

For a moment, the two women stared at each other unable to speak, but after a few minutes, Bella spoke up. "Really now? And just who do you think would be better for me, hm?"

A light blush crept its way over Alice's pale cheeks, and she averted her eyes from Bella. "Well, uh, Jasper, actually..I think he would be a better choice. And-and you two seemed to get along pretty well."

"Uh, no. Friend? Yes. Boyfriend? No." Bella laughed softly, and her laugh caused Alice to laugh which of course caused butterflies to form in Bella's tummy.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Silence once again... "We should get inside. It's kinda chilly out here." Bella nodded her head as Alice reached for the door and opened it up, quickly ushering Bella inside.

\x/x\x/

Once inside, the two went their separate ways. Alice returned to her room, while Bella returned to the room she and Edward shared. As soon as Bella opened the door, Edward pulled her into her arms, hugging her tightly - squeezing her, really. "Oh God, Bella. I've missed you so much." He set her back down then smiled down at her. His emerald eyes sparkling with happiness. "Bella listen, I-"

Bella held up a hand, effectively silencing him. "No. You listen." She stated quickly. "I know you're 'Mr. Perfect-goody-goody,' but cut your sister some slack, ok? She can't help that she's gay, and you need to accept it." Edward opened his mouth to speak again. "Wait! I'm not finished yet!" Bella gave him a stern look, and he quickly shut his mouth. "As for you hitting me."

"Slapping."

"Excuse me?"

"I slapped you..with an open hand. I didn't hit you with a closed fist."

"Same difference. Anyway, as for you slapping me..." Bella continued, "I will not tolerate it. If it ever happens again, and I mean ever...I will leave you in a heartbeat. Do you understand me? I don't care how much I love you. I'll get over it." Edward nodded his head and raised his hand slowly. "What?"

"Can I speak again?" Bella nodded her head yes. "Ok, I'm sorry, Bells. I really, really am. I don't know what came over me. I just - God, I'm so sorry. So, so, so, sorry."

A small smile spread over Bella's lips, and she leaned up to peck Edward gently on the lips. "You're forgiven. Just..please, don't let it happen again." She whispered against his lips. She felt them curve into a smile then he kissed her again. The kiss was slow and gentle, just like always, but his lips were rough and dry. And for some reason..that bothered her.

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**_A/N: Ok, so I know it wasn't really that great, and most of you are hating how I ended this chapter...buuuut yeah. So, anyways, comments, suggestions, criticism, it's all welcome! _**


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Sooooo sorry that you guys had to wait so long for an update! :( My creativity has been..well, limited - to say the least. But your reviews motivated me to at least type up this chapter. I'm sorry it's short, but I hope you guys like it. _**

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Bella felt a small hand cup her right cheek before soft lips descended upon her's. The kiss was slow and gentle like any first kiss should be, and yet it was so different from any of the other first kisses Bella had shared. Bella brought her hands to the the other's hips; gently pulling her closer. Their lips briefly parted, and a soft sigh fell from Bella's lips as the other spoke. "Bella..." The soft, feminine voice whispered to her. It was a voice Bella easily recognized; however, she could not place a name or a face. Bella opened her eyes, and was instantly met with intense, golden-colored irises. But as soon as she saw them they were gone, along with the mysterious girl she had been kissing only seconds ago. "Wake up."

"Bella, wake up. Angela will be getting in soon." A masculine voice informed the sleepy brunette. She groaned in annoyance as her mind left the dreamland and entered back into reality. Bella had been in Forks for a little over a month now, and she was in need of her Maid of Honor. She needed Angela to help her with nerves as well as the dress and many other things. Bella forced open her brown optics and peered up at her fiance who's emerald eyes sparkled with happiness. He leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead; his lips rough against her skin and nothing like the soft lips she remembered from her dream. "I'm sure Rosalie will be here to pick you up in a little bit, you'd better hurry so you don't have to keep her waiting."

"No, I'm going with Alice. Rose had to do something today. I think she's having another hormone treatment." A small frown stretched over Bella's lips at the thought. Rosalie wanted nothing more than to be a mother, and it seemed that no matter what she did..it never worked out. Bella's eyes shifted back to Edward; the bright expression that had at first been on his face was whipped clear and replaced with a mixture of annoyance, anger, and sadness. Bella knew why. Though she had talked to him about it when they first arrived, Edward had not changed much, and still resented Alice because of his homophobia.

"Oh, well..do you want me to go with you?" He asked, a small, forced smile appearing.

"No, no. You have to do some things with Emmett don't you?" His smile fell once again. Edward grumbled quietly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready to pick of my Maid of Honor." Edward nodded his head solemnly then began to head towards the door, as he opened it, he turned back to face Bella.

"I love you."

"Yeah," Bella replied softly. "I know. Love you, too." At the three small words, Edward's eyes lit up and he beamed at Bella before leaving the room and heading down stairs.

* * *

Bella dressed quickly, and before long there was a knock on the door. Before she could answer, the person on the other side turned the handle and strolled inside. The short, pixie-looking girl Bella had come to love as one of her closest and best friends came into view. She smiled her usual, dazzling smile that made Bella's heart melt. "Morning, Bella." Alice Cullen said in her bell-like voice. Bella offered a soft hey before she reached for her dull blue sweatshirt and pulled it on. Her brown eyes shifted towards Alice's golden orbs. So familiar, her subconscious seemed to murmur to her, but she quickly pushed it to the side. Her eyes drifted lower, taking in her outfit silently. "Like what you see?" Alice asked teasingly; something that Bella had grown used to. Alice was a flirt; no one could deny it. A light blush stretched over Bella's cheeks, and Alice laughed at her reaction. "You really are adorable when you blush, Bells. It makes you seem like you're a teenager." Bella rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at the pixie.

"Yeah, yeah. Lets go. Her have a little over an hour before Ange arrives in Seattle, so we have just enough time to get there, find decent parking, and get inside before she lands."

"Decent parking? In a Seattle Airport?" Alice rose an eyebrow in a questioning manner as a small smirk appeared on her lips.

"Shush. Lets go."

* * *

"So how long have you and Angela been friends?" Alice asked, her golden eyes shifting towards Bella who sat in the passenger seat.

"Well our moms were friends, so naturally when they spent time together so did we." The pixie nodded her head. "So we have pretty much known each other our whole lives." Bella's eyes fell closed, and she leaned her head back to rest. "Mm...She's like the sister I always wanted but never got."

A small, forced smile stretched over Alice's lips. "Yeah? Well you're about to gain two sister..." The younger of the female's released a soft, dry laugh. Bella's eyes opened and she glanced towards Alice who stared hard at the road before her. Though they had known each other for such a short amount of time, Bella could tell when something was bothering Alice. It was like a sixth sense almost. Bella wanted to voice her concern and ask what was bothering her, but she knew better. She knew Alice would never tell her. Alice wasn't the type to burden people with her own problems. Bella tilted her head back once again; releasing a small sigh as her eyes fell closed once again.

With Alice's speeding and excellent driving, the two girls arrived at the Seattle Airport in record time which was lucky for them considering the amount of time they wasted trying to find a parking spot. Once parked, Bella and Alice ventured into the crowded airport. Bella's eyes scanned around, attempting to find the arrivals board; once she had she began to look for gate twelve; hoping that Angela would be there when they found it.

Sure enough, when gate twelve came into view, so did Bella's best friend and Maid of Honor. Bella's brown eyes met with Angela's hazel ones, and instantly a smile broke out on both of their faces. "Isabella Marie Swan!" Angela hollered over the crowd, causing Bella to flinch at the sound of her full name. Angela pushed up the the rim of her glasses before lifting up her carry-on luggage, and moving towards Bella and Alice. As soon as she was in hugging distance, Angela threw her arms around Bella; pulling her into a tight hug that Bella easily returned. When they broke apart, Angela's eyes shifted towards the pixie-like girl who stood exactly seven inches shorter than herself. Angela rose an eyebrow then grinned as recognition crossed over her features. "Alice, right? Edward's baby sister?"

Now it was Alice's turn to flinch; she then scrunched her nose in a manner that Bella found absolutely adorable. "I'm only a few years younger than him." She replied quickly.

Angela nodded her head. "Right...You're what..twelve?" Alice stuck out her tongue.

"Oh har har. Make fun of the short one."

"Nonsense!" Angela exclaimed, "I'll make fun of Bella, too." A sly grin appeared on the girl's lips as she let her eyes drift to Bella who's eyes widened and smile fell. Alice laughed at the statement as well as the reaction it received from Bella. It was obvious that Angela and Alice would get along great with each other, and for that Bella was truly thankful. In fact, it had been one of the things Bella feared most the whole week before Angela had arrived. "C'mon, lets get out of here. All I've had today is shitty airport food, and I'm starved."

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**_A/N: Once again, sorry for the late update and the short chapter. I'll try to make the next one longer, and hopefully sooner. Reviews, criticism, ideas. All welcome. Remember, reviews motivate me the update faster. ;) Just sayin'. _**


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Ok, so here is the new chapter! :D Just a heads up, there's some spoilers for a movie that is currently in theaters. Scream 4. I thought it was amazing, and I'm completely obsessed with it right now sooooo...yeah. If you don't want to read the spoiler you can skip it. I've put a warning before it and after it so you guys know. :) It was pretty much just a little filler, ya know? So anyways, thanks everyone who reviewed. Enjoy!_**

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The group decided on Applebee's; once there the three spent hours in the restaurant. Mostly Bella and Angela catching up on what the other had missed in the month of time apart. Angela revealed that she had moved on after her former boyfriend and first love, Eric, dumped her for another girl. She was now seeing a different guy who's name was Ben. They had been talking all last month until finally he asked her out - mentioning that when he did it, his voice was trembling with nerves...which of course made it all the more endearing.

When the conversation shifted its focus to Bella and her relationship with her fiance, Alice began to fidget. Bella informed Angela that he had struck her after taking up for Alice, and speaking against his homophobia. As soon as she said it, Angela's eyes seemed to darken, and both Alice and Bella could see the rage rolling off Angela in waves. "He what..?" She nearly shouted; however, she was quickly shushed by Alice. "Sorry," she muttered, "but he _HIT_ you? And you're still with him?" Angela asked, her eyes softening as she met Bella's eyes.

Quickly Bella let her gaze fall to her still half full plate. She gently poked at the salad with her fork before releasing a heavy sigh. "What am I supposed to do Ange? He's my fiance." Alice shook her head and released a sigh of her own. "I know you both think I'm stupid for staying with him but...but I..you know. I love him." Angela rolled her eyes while Alice just hung her head; deciding it was best to just stay out of the conversation.

"Yeah? Well what are you going to do when he hits you again? Hm, Isabella? Or when you're married and he hits you in front of your kids? Or when he hits yours _kids_?" Bella flinched. She hadn't thought about that.

"Sooo~" A cheerful voice suddenly interrupted. All eyes shifted to look at the perky looking brunette who they quickly realized at their waitress, Jessica. "Anyone save room for dessert?" She asked with a grin. It was obvious she had over-heard the conversation, and was trying to lighten the mood.

As soon as she had spoke, Alice shot her hand up; a grin plastered to her lips. "I did!" She exclaimed, and at that moment Bella and Angela burst into a fit of laughter. Alice looked far from twenty-three. She looked like a little kid. Alice lowered her hand then shot glares at both of her friends before returning her attention to the waitress. "We all did. Can we get that giant cookie thing? With the ice-cream and stuff?"

"The chocolate chip cookie sundae? No problem." Jessica smiled, "I'll have it out to you guys in a sec."

"Ok, thanks!" Alice shouted as she walked off. For a moment the three were silent then once again Bella and Angela burst out laughing. Alice huffed in annoyance. "Buttheads." She grumbled before Angela began to ruffle her messy black hair.

"You're so adorable, Alice!" She exclaimed, grinning at Alice's death glare. "Whaaat?" Angela asked innocently. "Do you not like it when people," she ruffled Alice's hair again, "touch your hair?"

Alice playfully pushed Angela's hand away and began to run her fingers through the short strands; attempting to fix the damage Angela had caused. "Well it takes foreeeeever to get it like thiiiis." She whined childishly, causing Angela to chuckle.

"Ok, so, Alice..you're a lesbian?" Angela asked, her head tilting to the side slightly in curiosity. Alice just nodded her head, still busy trying to fix her hair. "Have you got a girlfriend? We haven't talked about your love life yet." A light blush stretched over Alice's cheeks. "So spill. What's she like?"

"Well..uh, Maria and I have been dating for a while...She's..uh," Alice hesitated, searching for the right words, "she's great." She finally decided. Her eyes shifted towards Bella then quickly darted her eyes around the room. Attempting to make it look like she was observing the many different decorations of the restaurant.

Angela caught Alice's eyes linger on Bella. Her eyes shifted towards Bella for a moment, taking in her obliviousness then back to Alice as she surveyed the room. "Ah..mkay then..." Angela's voice trailed off towards the end of her short response. There was another silence that hung around group. "Tell us some more! Like..how did you guys meet? Who asked who out..blah, blah, blah."

Alice rolled her eyes then sighed. "We met at the hospital. She was my sister's therapist.." At the last sentence, all eyes shifted to Alice; listening intently for her to tell the story of why Rosalie needed a therapist. "We hit it off, and she asked me for my number."

Silence.

"So what happened to your sis?" Angela finally asked after a few minutes; however, Alice didn't get a chance to answer because Jessica returned with a large plate in hand. On the plate sat a large scoop of ice-cream with chocolate sauce drizzled over it. Alice's serious appearance melted away at the sight, and a childish smile appeared over her lips.

"Yay!" She exclaimed as the plate was set in the middle of the table; a spoon facing each on of them.

"Here ya go. Hope you guys enjoy, and if you need anything just let me know, k?" With that, Jess wondered off to her other tables. Alice took up a spoon and quickly dug into the hot cookie.

"Ohmygosh~ " Alice sighed happily. Bella and Angela giggled then each took a spoon and a bite. "Good, yeah?"

"Amazing..~" Angela stated taking a small scoop of ice-cream; Bella nodded in agreement. After a few minutes the tri groaned. Each of their stomachs ached from the sugar over-load. With a sigh, Angela pulled out her cellphone, glancing at the time then gasped. "Shit! Guys, we gotta get to the hotel so I can check in!"

Alice whined, "But I'm too full to moooove."

"Seriously, Ali! If we don't get over there in.." Angela looked at her phone again, "fifteen minutes the front office is going to be closed for the night." Alice frowned at the statement.

"Fuck the hotel. You can stay at my place, it's free."

Angela blinked several times as she stared at innocent Alice; slightly shocked that she had cursed, "Wha-? Did you just cuss?"

"Yeah, I am an adult, Ange." Alice stuck out her tongue playfully then grinned. "So you wanna stay at my place? Or try to make it to the hotel?"

"Your place. Fuck the hotel." She said, mocking Alice who rolled her eyes.

Bella's head lifted from the table, and she looked up at Alice. "Mind if I stay also? I don't really feel like driving all the way back to Forks by myself."

"Of course not, Bells. I've got plenty of room." Alice flashed a smile towards Bella, "Hey! It can be like a slumber party!" Bella and Angela chuckled at Alice's enthusiasm. "C'mon, lets go, we can watch a movie before we all pass out!"

* * *

After several minutes of arguing with Bella and Angela, Alice finally convinced them to let her pay for the meals then the three piled into Alice's car. About half an hour later they arrived at Alice's apartment; though it looked more like a condo. "Holy shit." Angela gasped out. "This is where you live?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Uh...yeah..?"

"This isn't a fucking apartment. It's a condo. Shit." Alice laughed softly then pointed to a sign just down the road that said Sunnyside Apartments. Angela rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It's a condo." Bella and Alice both laughed as Angela unloaded her belongings. They quickly entered Alice's apartment.

When the door opened, they were greeted by the scent of cinnamon. The walls were a apple-red color with amazing paintings hanging all over; however, they were not the usual paintings you get at Walmart or Hobby Lobby. They were all unique and different with the letters A.C. at the bottom, right-hand corner written in beautiful cursive lettering. "Wow." Bella breathed out. "Did you..?" Her finger ran over the A.C. at the bottom of a painting of a red rose with a blue ribbon tied loosely around the stem. "Did you paint these, Alice?"

The pixie's cheek darkened in color as she nodded her head. "Yeah," she mumbled quietly.

"They're amazing, Alice." Angela stated quickly, she too was in awe at their beauty. Alice's cheeks darkened even more. "Seriously, wow."

"C'mon, I'll show you you guys to the guest room. Do you mind sharing a bed? If not one of you can have my bed, I can sleep on the couch..I usually do anyway so I'm fine either way."

"Oh no, Alice! I don't want to kick you out of your own bed!" Bella exclaimed, but Alice just laughed.

"Really, Bella, it's no big deal. I always fall asleep on the couch, it doesn't matter to me." Bella frowned then sighed heavily in an attempt to be dramatic.

"Fine." She grumbled.

Alice showed Angela to the guest bedroom which was neatly decorated with some more of Alice's paintings. One looked similar to Picasso while the other was a copy of one of Van Gogh's paintings; though much better in Bella's opinion. Over the bed was another picture, this one was a still life. In the painting Bella could make out a much younger Edward and Rosalie laughing beside Carlisle and Esme who were smiling. Bella stared at the picture; it was a happy picture, yet the colors argued that there was something wrong. It was conflicted and painful. "When did you paint this?" Bella pointed towards the still life. Alice's golden eyes shifted towards the familiar painting. Her eyes softened as they went over the details she had painted years ago.

"Back when I was in high school. Me and Edward were Juniors, Rose was a Senior."

"You did an amazing job." Bella's eyes drifted from the painting to Alice who was still staring at it. The look in her eyes were something Bella couldn't quite decipher, but she could identify one emotion. Sadness. And it made Bella's heart ache with an unbearable pain.

Then suddenly the look was gone, and replaced with a cheerful smile that did not meet her expressive eyes. "Follow me, I'll show you two my room. It's a little messy though - just a heads up." With that, Alice danced out of the room, and into the hall where she disappeared into a room down the hall. Bella looked towards Angela who shrugged, threw her bags onto the bed then walked out of the room. Bella took one last glance at the painting before walking out into the hall, and following her two best friends.

When she found them moments later, Alice was running around the room picking up stray clothes that lay around on the floor in a messy heap. Angela and Bella chuckled at Alice who seemed to be stuck as a teenager. Quickly the dirty clothing disappeared into a purple hamper littered with pink and yellow flowers of all different sizes. Once there were no more clothes covering everything, Bella began to take in the detail of the room. The walls were painted a light purple, probably lavender, and the floor was dark, hardwood floors. Towards the corner was a bed and in the corner opposite of it the floor was covered with a clear tarp. Sitting on top of the tarp was a large easel with a half-finished painting.

On the right side of the painting was a girl's back. Her hair was short, black, and spiky - easily recognizable as Alice's. She was leaning back on her palms, but in her left hand was another hand; however, a little past the wrist the painting faded into a white canvas.

"Sorry it's so messy." Alice stated, grabbing up scattered paintbrushes and small bottles of paint. She set them into a basket beside the easel then looked over at Bella and Angela, offering a small, sheepish grin.

"It's fine, Ali, really." Bella replied.

"Great." Alice clapped her hands together as a large smile broke out across her face. "Now what about that movie? I have a ton! And I have some bootlegs also, but shhh! Don't tell anyone." She winked playfully then dashed out of the room and into the room across the hall, the living room. "So what kind of movie do you guys wanna watch?" Alice hollered as Bella and Angela walked in.

"Scary." Angela stated quickly. A frown appeared on Bella's face, she wasn't a fan of scary movies - she got freaked out to easily. Angela glanced towards her best friend and grinned. "Definitely scary." Bella glared at her then sighed.

"Ok, they are over here." Alice dropped to her knees in front of the TV console. Beneath where the television sat were two cabinets. Alice slide one open, revealing the rows of scary movies she owned.

"Woah." Angela said with wide eyes. She got down on her knees beside Alice, and began to go through them one-by-one. "Where have you been all my life!" Angela teased, throwing her arms around Alice, giving her a tight squeeze before releasing her and returning her attention to the movies. Alice laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

"It's my favorite genre."

Bella plopped down on the couch across from the TV and sighed in annoyance, "Hurry up, lets watch it and get it over with."

Alice turned to grin at Bella. "Not a big fan of horror are ya?" The pixie's head shifted to the side in a questioning manner, and Bella couldn't help but think how adorable she was.

"Not really." Bella mumbled, her eyes quickly shifting away.

"AH HA!" Angela suddenly exclaimed. When the other two turned to look at her she was holding a small black disk case. Bella rose an eyebrow.

"Wha-"

"Scream 4!" She interrupted. "It's still in theaters and I've been to busy to go see it. Can we pleeeeaaase watch this?" Angela all but begged, causing Alice to laugh while Bella simply shrugged.

"Fine by me. At least the Scream movies aren't that scary."

A mischievous grin stretched over Alice's lips. "This one's pretty good. I definitely don't mind watching it again."

* * *

***Scream 4 Spoilers***

By the time the movie was nearly finished, Alice was sitting on the edge of the couch, her attention completely fixed on the movie while Bella sat beneath a blanket with her knees pulled up to her chest while she hugged a pillow to her chest, ready and prepared for the next attack from Ghostface. Angela sat on her knees, her eyes wide and fixed upon the TV.

"_Alright Kirby,_" the killer spoke into the phone. "_then it's time for your last chance question..._" The view suddenly shifted towards Sidney as she turned and slowly began to climb a staircase. "_Name the remake of the ground-breaking horror movie in which the villain-_"

"_Uh, Halloween,_" Kirby interrupted as the view moved back to her, "_uh, Texas Chainsaw, Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, Amity Ville Horror, uh, Last House on the Left, Friday the Thirteenth, A Nightmare on Elm Street, My Bloody Valentine, When a Stranger Calls, Prom Night, Black Christmas, House of Wax, The Fog, Parana._" Kirby took in a deep breath. "_It's one of those, right?_" Silence. "_Right?_" There was nothing but the suspenceful music playing, and a grin stretched over Angela's lips.

"FUCK YEAH! TAKE THAT GHOSTFACE!" She shouted, doing an arm pump and causing Alice to break her concentration. She looked over at Angela, and laughed softly.

"_I got it right. I was fucking right._" Kirby stated, hanging up the phone as she moved towards the door.

"NO! You idiot! Don't go outside!" Angela shouted. Bella smacked her arm, "Ow! Sorry." She muttered.

The scene shifted quickly back to Sidney, "_Jill?_" Sidney quickly got to her knees beside the bed and glanced beneath it. Then the view changed once again back to Kirby as she opened the door. She rushed out to Charlie who sat tied to the chair.

"_I won, Charlie, I fucking won._" Kirby said as she ripped the tape from his mouth. "_He tried to beat me, but I fucking won._" Quickly Kirby began to rip the tape away from Charlie's wrists as she glanced around to make sure Ghostface was no where to be seen. "_Almost there, just hold tight._" She said, attempting to be calm.

When finally she was done, Charlie stood up, a knife in his hand as he grabbed Kirby's shoulder. "_Kirby, this is making a movie._" He said as he thrust the knife into her stomach.

"NO! FUCKING NO!" Angela shouted, causing both Alice and Bella to jump. They both shot daggers at here. She gave a sheepish smile before she sank back into the couch.

"_Four years of classes together and you notice me now?_" Charlie asked angrily as he removed the knife. "_You stupid bitch. It's to late!_" He thrust the knife into her again, and the sickening sound of someone dying filled the room. "_Shhh...shh..I know._" He whispered to her in a crazy-sounding voice. "_It's ok, take your time. It doesn't happen as fast as it does in the movies, I know._"

***End Scream 4 Spoilers***

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By the time the movie ended, Angela and Bella were in shock. Complete and utter shock. "Oh my god." Angela said, staring hard at the TV as Alice stood up to take it out. "Oh my god!" She said, this time a little louder. "What the fuck!" Alice laughed softly. "I can't believe it. That's like.." Angela hesitated. "Oh my god." She repeated once again. Suddenly Angela's phone sounded, causing her to jump. She reached for it quickly and glanced at the caller ID. "It's Ben~!" She squealed happily. Angela flipped open her phone, "Hey Babe." She said into it as she got up from the couch. "Yeah, I'm doing great. Just hanging out with Bells and Edward's sis, Alice." Bella smiled at Angela. She was so happy that her friend had found someone, and gotten over Eric - that asshole. "No, no. I wanna talk to you. They won't mind if I disappear for a little bit." She glanced at Bella who simply nodded her head. Angela's smile brightened even more, if that was possible, then moved out into the hall and went to the guest room.

"They seem happy." Bella stated quietly. Alice nodded as she placed the DVD in it's case then moved back to couch to sit by Bella.

"Yeah," Alice said quietly. Bella lowered her head and sighed quietly as her mind shifted towards Edward and what Angela had said earlier that evening. "Are you happy, Bella?"

Quickly Bella raised her head, meeting Alice's golden eyes. "What? Yeah, of course..." Alice stared at her, and Bella stared right back. They were silent for a moment before Bella spoke again. "I mean..I think I am..." Bella turned away and furrowed her brow. She had been happy until she came to Forks. "Maybe it's this weather? You know...I'm not used to it, and this is one of the most depressing places in the US."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Right." The pixie sighed in annoyance. "Doesn't seem to be bothering Ange."

"She just got here." Bella defended.

"Well to be honest you didn't look all that happy when you first got here either." Alice shot back, her eyes narrowing. Bella turned to look at her. She didn't understand why Alice was acting angry with her.

"Yeah? Well how would you know? You don't even know me." Bella shot back. Alice stared at her hard for a moment then opened her mouth to speak; however, no words came out. "Exactly. So drop it."

Alice turned her body to face Bella completely, her golden eyes meeting Bella's chocolate brown ones. "When someone can finish someone Else's sentences, they know each other. When someone can tell when someone is upset or how they are feeling, they know each other. Don't say we don't know each other Bella because I think I know you better than Edward actually does."

Bella mimicked Alice's actions, turning her own body to face Alice. "You don't know anything about our relationship."

"I know he has hit you." Alice insisted. "I know you're worried he will do it again," she continued, "and I know that you're also a little scared." Bella rolled her eyes, but she knew Alice was right. Bella let her gaze move away from Alice; she couldn't allow her to see the tears that were building. "I know you're not happy, but you're the one who has to admit it. Not me." A tear streaked down Bella's cheek, and she quickly reached up to whip it away.

"Admit it. Please?" Alice finally whispered into the deafening silence. "You could do so much better..." Alice's voice trailed off, and as soon as she had said it, she regretted it. Stupid emotions always got the best of her. But at her words, Bella turned to look back at Alice.

"I can't," was all she whispered before Alice cupped her cheeks in both her hands; forcing Bella to look her in the eyes. Alice's thumb ran just barely beneath Bella's eyes, whipping away the salty liquid that still threatened to fall. Alice then began to lean towards her. Her lips lightly ghosted over Bella's, and the sensation alone was enough to make her crave more.

"Hey, Alice! Where's your kitchen! I need a soda!" Angela called from the hall, startling both Bella and Alice and causing them to fly apart to opposite ends of the couch. Alice quickly stood up. Her eyes shifted towards the door to the hall then back to Bella. With a silent apology, Alice hurried off to show Angela to the kitchen, and leave Bella alone to think.

_**A/N: So? What did you guys think? Cliche? Yeah, I know it probably is. :/ Damn. Well, leave reviews, they make me happy and update faster! :D Hell, look how long it too this time? Like..six, seven days? ...I think? I dun know...But yeah. Comments, suggestions, ext. **_


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to post this. I've had writers block on this story for like...forever. D; Ugh. But here it is. Hope you like it! :)_**

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"Aliiiiice!" Angela called again from entry hall of Alice's apartment. "Ali-"

"What?" Alice hissed, her golden eyes seeming to have formed into a tiny slits. Angela glanced at her with wide eyes.

"Woah, there." She muttered a bit shocked by Alice's tone. "What crawled up your ass and died, eh?" Alice rolled her eyes and placed her hands over her hips expectantly then began to tap her foot against the floor impatiently. "Oh, right. Where's the kitchen? I want a carbonated drink."

Alice stared at her hard for a moment before finally speaking. "That is..?" Angela cocked an eyebrow then nodded her head slowly.

"...Yeaaaahhh...? Why?"

"Angela!" Alice groaned. The pixie ran a hand through her messy black spikes before shooting a glare at her new friend. "You couldn't just explore the house and find it yourself?"

"Well I thought that might be rude." Angela stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "So what's up with you? A few minutes ago you were all sunshine and daises, now you're biting my head off for wanting to know where the kitchen is."

Alice glanced away, "It's nothing, Ange. The kitchen is down the hall, last door on the left." The younger of the two girls turned, and was beginning to walk away when Angela grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

The woman pressed her finger to the bridge of her glasses and pushed them up before she met Alice's irritated gaze. "You're not going anywhere until you explain what's up, Ali." Alice rolled her eyes once again before attempting to shake loose from Angela's grip.

"You..just..uh, interrupted me telling a story." Alice muttered in response, "that's all. My favorite story actually, an' um, yeah. Can I go now?"

"No because you and I both know that was complete bullshit." Angela said flashing a small grin. "Now spill."

"Ok fine." Alice grumbled, jerking her wrist from Angela's grip, and letting her eyes wonder from Angela. She wondered briefly if she could make a run for it and possibly outrun Angela, but she doubted it. "I...uh, was..kinda about to uh..."

"C'mon, Alice, speak up."

"I was.." Alice nervously bit her lip while Angela rose an eyebrow once again, a grin spreading over her lips. "I was about to kiss Bella."

"I KNEW IT!" Exclaimed the older woman. She did a small victory arm pump. "Oh, yeah, Angela is ALWAYS right!" Alice couldn't help but release a soft laugh at her friend.

"Knew what? It was an accident. Won't ever happen again." Alice stated after Angela had calmed down a bit. She crossed her arms over her chest as Angela looked at her in a bit of confusion. As Angela opened her mouth to speak, Alice held up her hand to silence her. "She's my BROTHER'S fiance."

Now it was Angela's turn to roll her eyes. "She is there for the taking, Honey. Not to mention that fact you're better for her than Edward is. You would never hit her, or hurt her in any way." Alice nodded her head slowly. "Now," Angela began as she turned Alice around and began to push her towards the living room, "go get your girl. I'll be heading to bed." Angela winked then turned and ran off to the guest bedroom.

Alice shook her head, and sighed quietly as Angela ran off. "Such a nerd." She muttered with a small grin as she began to head towards the living room. "Hey, Bella?" Alice called softly as she stepped into the room, though when she looked to the couch, Bella was gone. Her eyes flickered across the room, she was no where to be seen. Instantly, Alice felt her heart sink into her stomach, and a sickening fill build inside her. "...I..guess she went to bed..." Alice whispered to herself. Her shoulders sagged, and the young woman slowly shuffled her feet across the floor to the couch. She flopped down onto it and laid down onto her side. She stared at the blank TV screen, ignoring the tears that slowly streaked down her cheeks.

* * *

By nine in the morning, Alice was up. She was in the kitchen rushing around fixing breakfast for herself and her guests. It was nothing big, just pancakes, eggs, and sausage. When all the food was finished, Alice set them on plates and carried them to the small dining room across from the kitchen. Once the table was set, she went to wake up the guests. Bella's room was first along the way.

When Alice stepped in front of Bella's room, she gently bit her lower lip. She lightly knocked on the door. "Bella?" She called softly. There was no reply. The pixie-looking woman knocked a little louder on the door. Still no answer. Hesitantly, Alice reached for the doorknob and turned it. The door creaked open slowly, "Bella?" Alice whispered into the room. As the door opened further, Alice located the bed. Empty. Again, the woman's heart sank. She walked over to the perfectly made bed. On the pillow sat a small not with messy writing scribbled across it. "Edward called, had to head to the house for something. Talk to you guys later."

* * *

"So where did you go this morning?" Angela's voice asked through the phone. Bella shrugged her shoulders despite knowing her friend wouldn't be able to see. "I had to go."

"Why?"

"Edward, uh, called. He was worried." Angela scoffed. "What?"

"That dickhead doesn't worry about anything other than himself." Angela muttered.

"Ange!" Bella scolded.

"I know, I know," Angela replied. "I know. He's your fiance. You're soon to be husband, but I don't like him. You can do a lot better."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Whatever." There was silence between the two best friends for a moment before Bella spoke. "Oh! Hey, we're supposed to go look at wedding dresses and brides-maid dresses today."

"Oh yeaaaah!" Angela asked, suddenly giggly at the idea. "That'll be fun."

"Definitely."

"Is Alice going?" Silence. "Bella?" Silence. "Bella! Is Alice going with us?"

"Huh? Oh...um, I-..I-I guess. If she..if she wants to..." Bella's voice trailed off.

"Great. What time are we leaving?"

"About twelve or so. We'll go eat lunch then head over to some dress shops. Rosalie gave me a list of some really good ones."

"Oh cool. Is she going, too?"

"Um, no, I think she had to work or something."

"Ah, well, see you later then!" Angela exclaimed, causing Bella to chuckle softly. "Bye!"

"Bye."

With that the two hung up, and Bella threw herself onto her bed. "This is going to be awkward..." She muttered as her mind went back to the events of the previous night. More importantly, to her and Alice's almost kiss. They had been so close, and the disturbing part about it was...Bella wasn't sure she would have minded kissing Alice. Bella closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh. She could almost imagine how Alice's lips would feel against her own. How soft they would be, what they would taste like. A shutter ran down Bella's spine. Strawberries. She would most definitely taste like strawberries, but not the sour, tart ones. The extremely sweet ones. Bella couldn't help but imagine what could have happened last night - correction, what _would_ have happened if Angela had not interrupted.

_Their lips met just briefly before Alice pulled back. Chocolate brown hues locked with golden ones before their lips crashed together once more. This kiss, however, was more desperate, more needy. Bella felt Alice's hands cup her cheeks, pulling her closer as her Alice's tongue slipped past her lips, and teasingly ran along Bella's lower lip. Bella released a soft groan as her own lips parted, allowing Alice the access she craved. Their tongues met briefly, brushing over one another. Bella had been so absorbed in the kiss, she hadn't noticed her hands had moved to Alice's waist while one of Alice's hands had moved to the back of her neck. The other was now roaming over Bella's body before slowly dipping beneath Bella's shirt. _

A low moan fell from Bella's lips as her hand traveled beneath her shirt, gently cupping one of her breasts through her bra. Suddenly, Bella sat up, her breath coming out in short, labored pants. "Oh god." She gasped in horror. Her eyes wide in the realization of what she had just been doing. _You just imagined a very hot, very heated make-out with your soon to be sister-in-law..._ She thought. Instantly, Bella rushed towards the bathroom, "I need a cold shower." She muttered to herself.

* * *

"So..." Bella muttered, her eyes not moving to look Angela in the eye, "when do you think Alice will get here?" Angela shrugged her shoulders. "I wonder if it will be hard to find a dress her size..." Bella wondered out loud as they stepped through the doors of the first bridal gown store.

"Probably not, and we can always get one fixed if it's to long." Angela laughed softly while Bella just managed a weak smile. "So..." Angela trailed off as they began to rummage through the hanging dresses.

"So?"

"What's going on with you and Alice." _Oh. _

"Nothing. Nothing at all, why?"

Angela stopped what she was doing, and glanced over at Bella, an eyebrow arched slightly higher than the other. "Really now?"

Bella nodded her head, ignoring Angela as she rolled her eyes. "What makes you think there's anything going on between us?"

"Ooooh, I don't know...maybe because any time someone," Angela glanced towards the door as the bell rang, "Oh! Hey, Alice!" Instantly, Bella's head snapped up to look at the woman who entered the shop, though she hard black hair it was not short or spiky, and her height was way off. "See what you just did? Yeah, there is totally something going on between you two."

"Ok, ok. Fine. We, uh...well, more like _she_ almost kissed me."

"Reaaaally?" Angela asked, pretending to be completely and utterly shocked though she couldn't suppress the growing smile on her lips.

"Yes rea- " Bella glanced up, and upon seeing the smile, she shot Angela a glare. "You already knew that, didn't you?"

"I'll never tell." Angela stuck out her tongue playfully and resumed looking for a dress. Bella sighed heavily, and returned her attention to looking for a dress when the bell above the door went off again. "Hey, Alice is here."

Bella didn't bother looking up. "Yeah? Mhmm, ok." The brunette grumbled.

"Hey, Angela. Hey, Bella." Alice's bell-like voice greeted. Bella nearly dropped the dress she was currently looking at, and quickly glanced at the pixie beside her.

"Oh! Alice! Uh, h-hi." She stammered out, causing Angela to giggle. She quickly shot her best friend a glare then set the dress back on the 's eyes met Alice's sad, golden ones. Then she let her eyes wonder over Alice's body, taking in the boring, unlike-Alice outfit, and the straight, lack-of spikes hair."How-hows your uh...d-day been?" She asked softly.

Alice didn't reply right away. Instead, she turned to one of the many racks of dresses and began to go through them. "Eh, mm..."

"And what does that mean?" Angela questioned.

"It means I had a fight with Maria."

"_Ooooh._" The two other females said in unison. "OH!" Angela exclaimed, pulling out a long, strapless white dress; perfect for Bella's figure. "Bella! What do you think?" Bella turned to look, and gasped when she saw it.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" She stated quickly. Angela nodded, obviously proud that she had found such a lovely dress.

"You should try it on, Bella." Alice commented, flashing a bright smile that did not meet her eyes. Bella's smile faltered at the look in Alice's eyes, but nodded anyway.

When finally, Bella got the dress on, Angela zipped it up for her, and the two went outside the dressing room. Alice instantly felt her cheeks heating up at the sight of Bella. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Her wavy brown locks were down and framed her heart-shaped face perfectly; cascading over her shoulders just a tiny bit. The curves of the dress fit against Bella's body as if it had been made for her, hugging her waist tightly, but not so tight it made it hard for her to breathe. "Well?" Angela asked grinning, "What do you think?"

Alice stood there, simply unable to talk. Her eyes were locked with Bella's who seemed to be looking straight through her. "Beautiful." Alice murmured ever so softly; causing Angela's grin to grow just a bit more. Alice couldn't help the smile the flew across her lips as she saw Bella blush at the compliment.

"Yeah?" Bella asked softly as Alice took a step closer.

"Yeah." Alice replied just a few feet in front of Bella. She wanted to step just a bit closer and kiss her or take her hand or hug her or _something_. But the last time they had come close to such contact, Bella had freaked and disappeared. With a heavy sigh, Alice stepped back. "Looks great, Bells."

The two stared at each other a moment longer before Bella broke eye contact and looked at Angela. "Hey, so will you help me get this zipper down?" Angela nodded her head then Bella returned to the dressing room. Instead of following behind her she walked towards Alice. She leaned towards her and whispered something. Angela then reached into her pocket and flipped out her phone.

Bella stared at herself in the mirror. She had to admit, she did look beautiful; though she would never admit it out loud. She would never admit something so vain. Suddenly the door of the changing room opened and someone stepped in. Bella turned around to speak to the person she believed was Angela. "About time, Ang-" As soon as her eyes met golden hues, her own widened. "A-Alice?" She nearly shrieked.

Alice threw a hand over Bella's mouth to keep her from shouting. She put her index finger over her lips, "Shh!" She quickly shushed the bride-to-be. "Ange got a call from Ben, she asked me to..uh, you know, unzip the dress for you." Both Alice and Bella were blushing by the time Alice finished speaking. Slowly Alice moved her hand to Bella's cheek, and lightly ran her thumb over the smooth flesh just below her left eye. Instantly, Bella's eyes fluttered closed, but as soon as she did, Alice's hand was gone. "Turn around." Alice demanded more than requested then reached for her hair to pull it out of the way. Alice reached for the zipped, and pulled it carefully down to the end. "There." Alice whispered softly. Bella remained still, holding her dress up over her breasts.

"Thanks..Alice."

"No problem." She whispered in response as Bella turned to face her.

Their eyes locked for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "Listen...Alice, I really like you, but I'm..I'm getting married." Alice nodded her head slowly. "Not just to anyone, to your brother. So this is wrong. For both of us. We can't do thi-"

* * *

**_A/N: So, what do you guys think? I'll try to post updates more often. I really will. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!  
_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/U: So this is a really pitiful excuse of a chapter. It's only 831 words long. D; SIIIIIGH. But, at least it's an update. Hopefully the next chapter will be more lengthy and shit. _**

* * *

"_So this is wrong. For both of us. We can't do thi-_"

Bella's words were cut off as Alice's lips pressed firmly to Bella's. In that moment, time seemed to freeze with the exception of Alice and Bella. It was unlike anything Bella had ever experienced. Her lips moved eagerly against the pixie's while Alice's hands moved to the back of her neck, pulling her closer to her. Bella didn't mind at all. Alice's body pressed against Bella's as she backed her up against the wall of the changing room. Bella's hands moved to Alice's waist in an attempt to get Alice closer - like that was possible. The kiss was beginning to get heated as the two girls need for one another grew. Bella let out a low moan as they broke apart. Alice's lips moved to her neck, gently pressing against the sensitive flesh in ways that made Bella moan even louder.

Then suddenly it stopped. Confusion crossed her minds as she glanced down at Alice who was frozen; her eyes wide. Then there was a knock at the door. "Hello?" Called a voice from the other side of the door. "What's taking you guys so long?" She could hear the amusement dripping from Angela's voice. Bella looked to Alice with wide eyes. Silently asking a question. _How long had she been out there? What had she heard? _Alice shrugged her shoulders as an answer then stepped away from Bella. Instantly the white wedding gown began to fall, but Bella managed to grab it before anything was revealed. Her already flushed face darkened even more. Alice chuckled softly, a blush of her own resting upon her cheeks.

"Be right out." Alice finally called back to Angela, ignoring the soft giggles from the other side. Alice leaned forward to place a gentle kiss to Bella's lips...but she turned her face to the side causing Alice's lips to meet her cheek. When Alice pulled back she looked up at Bella with sad, confused eyes.

Bella shook her head gently as she spoke, refusing to make eye contact. "We can't." Was all she said. Alice felt the tears already building in her eyes, and she felt like she was going to crumble to pieces. Not one minute ago Bella wanted her, and now she was turning her back on her. She didn't bother replying to Bella, she just turned and left the dressing room. She ignored the giggles from Angela that quickly turned into worried glances. Alice just kept walked until she was out of the store. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle being around Bella - not now. Not after that.

As soon as Alice was out the door, Angela was banging on the changing room door. "Isabella Marie Swan!" She hollered. The door flew open and a teary-eyed Bella was glaring at her.

"What?" Bella hissed.

"What the hell just happened?" Angela nearly shouted. "One minute I hear you and Alice moaning and what not then the next she's running away in tears! Why the hell was she crying? Why the hell are YOU crying?"

Bella hesitated. "It's none of your business." She finally stated.

"Like hell it isn't." Angela grumbled. "Get dressed, I'm hungry. We can talk about this when we get to the restaurant ." Bella nodded her head slowly then sighed.

* * *

Bella pushed around the mashed potatoes on her plate. She didn't feel like eating. She just wanted to go back to her room and cry. "So...Spill." Angela finally said as she swallowed a chunk of broccoli.

"There's nothing to spill."

"Right...because I totally didn't hear you guys making out in the changing room." Angela rolled her eyes. "C'mon Bells, what's going on?"

"I'm not gay, Angela. Alice she...she just like..." Bella bit her lip, memories of the brief make-out flashed across her mind. She shuttered and shook her head from side to side. She wanted to say Alice attacked her. But she knew it was a lie. She had enjoyed it just as much as Alice - if not more. "Ange, I'm getting married. Not only that, but I'm getting married to Alice's brother."

"We've already been over this, Bella," Angela sighed. "Edward sucks. Alice rocks. It's an easy decision. Now go get your girl." A bright smile flashed across Angela's face. Bella just rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Bells. Alice is great. She obviously likes you. What's stopping you?"

There were so many things Bella wanted to stated, but they were all things that could easily be changed. In all honesty, there was nothing stopping her but fear. Bella shrugged her shoulders, attempting to look indifferent about it. "I don't like her that much, and I love Edward."

"Yeah, you love a girlfriend-beating, homo-hating, women are to be seen not heard kinda guy."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe Edward is my soul mate?"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe Alice is your soul mate?" Angela quickly countered as she cocked an eyebrow.

* * *

**_A/U: See? What did I tell you? Pitiful. :/ But, like I said, at least it's an update. Hope you liked it.  
_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the awesome supportive reviews. I'm super glad you guys like the story. :] And I really, really appreciate the reviews. The inspire me to update faster. x) So yeah, anyways, here is the next chapter! Enjoy~  
_**

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Bella's POV:

I was going insane.

It had been three long, miserable days since my kiss with Alice, and since Angela had asked me just one horribly complicated question: _Did you ever stop to think maybe Alice is your soul mate? _I was going absolutely mad asking myself that, and in all honesty...I had. I thought about it quite a bit, but even more so after Angela mentioned it. What if I picked Edward, and I regretted it for the rest of my life? On the other hand, what if I picked Alice? Would I later realize that Edward was my soul mate after I broke his heart?

I turned on my side in the bed I had been sharing with Edward the past couple of months. On the bedside table sat my phone. I stared hard at it for several minutes before reaching out to take it. I flipped the phone open and went to contacts. I, of course, went to the only number I had dialed in the past few days: Alice. I wasn't exactly sure how many times I had called her seeing as every time I did I deleted the call history. Not only did it make me feel kind of like I was a stalker, but also if Edward saw how many times I had called her he would go ballistic. I hit send and pressed the phone to my right ear.

Waiting, waiting, wai- oh, there's the ring. Nervously, I bit down onto my lower lip. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring...

Sigh.

Fuck my life.

* * *

3rd Person POV:

The phone across from Alice on the coffee table erupted in vibrations, and buzzed against the wood. Alice just stared at it. She didn't have to look at the phone to know who it was. She made no move to answer it. Instead, Alice pulled her legs onto the couch and up to her chest then wrapped her arms around them; her head resting upon her knees.

When the vibrations stopped, Alice released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She then reached forward and snatched up the phone. Her thumb ran over the lock on the touch screen. Sure enough, as soon as the phone was unlocked, Bella's picture popped up. Her beautiful smile stretched across her lips; her brown eyes gleaming with happiness. "You have one missed call from: Bella Swan," Alice read aloud.

Just as she spoke, Angela turned the corner into the living room. Alice lifted her eyes to meet Angela's worried ones. "She called again?" Alice just nodded at Angela's question. "Why don't you talk to her? I'll get out of here so you guys can talk. I could go sight seeing or something." Angela forced up a small smile that Alice replied with a weak smile of her own.

"No, it's ok Ange, I don't think..." Alice took in a shaky breath. "I don't think I should talk to Bella for a while..." While she spoke, Alice let her eyes fall to the floor because it suddenly became very interesting. So interesting she had not noticed that Angela had moved closer to her, and was now sitting on the couch next to her.

"Alice," she spoke softly. "You two need to talk about what happened." Alice just nodded again. "You need to tell her why you're upset." Again she nodded, "You need to tell her what you want." Again, Alice's head moved up and down as she nodded. "Alice, stop nodding and just listen to me." Alice stopped and shifted her eyes to Angela who smiled. "Talk to her."

"No."

"Yes."

"No. Not happening. She obviously wants Edward, not me." At those words, Alice felt the tears beginning to build in her eyes. How was it she managed to fall for her brother's fiance in just a few months?

"You loved Maria, didn't you?"

Alice looked at Angela with a shocked expression on her face. "Wha-?"

"You loved Maria? Right?" Alice slowly lifted her head then tilted it back down, her eyes never leaving Angela. "And you left her? You left her to be with Bella?"

"Uh...Well...y-yeah..? Sorta? I guess? I don't know."

* * *

_"Hey Baby.." The accented woman whispered into Alice's ear. The shivers that once ran down Alice's body when Maria talked to her with such a sultry voice now made her sick. She felt Maria's body press gently against her own then lips against her neck. She felt ill. _

_Alice lifted her hand to Maria's shoulder, gently and carefully pushing her back. When Maria pulled back, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "I don't feel good.." Alice quickly muttered. A disappointed look crossed Maria's face, and it killed Alice to know that she was the cause of it. _

_"You never feel good..." Maria pouted._

_"I know, I know..I'm..." Alice sighed, running a hand through her spiky black hair, "I'm sorry." Maria sighed quietly. _

_"Sure you are."_

_"Oh come on, Maria..." Alice frowned. _

_"Alice, we never-" The Spanish woman stood up and turned away from her girlfriend. "We don't even talk anymore. You're always busy with..._Bella_..." The way she spoke Bella's name made Alice flinch. She could hear the jealousy seeping through her words, and Alice couldn't help but feel guilty about it. Especially since the night before she had canceled a date with Maria to go pick up Angela at the airport with Bella...not to mention the almost kiss. _

_Alice gulped then bit her lip. "Um...Maria, I think we need to talk..."_

_As soon as she said it, Maria turned around, her brown orbs glaring down at Alice. "You're sleeping with her, aren't you?"_

_"What? _WHAT?_ No!" Alice jumped up to defend herself. "_NO!_ Of course not! I'm _NOT_ a cheater!"_

_You almost are though. She told herself as her mind flashed back to her almost kiss with Bella. _

_"WhatEVER, Alice! You can't lie to me! I know you to well!" Maria shouted. Alice could see the tears threatening to burst from her eyes. "I knew from the moment I met her she was going to be nothing but trouble." Maria growled out, grinding her teeth together angrily._

_"Bella and I haven't done ANYTHING, Maria! God, why are you so jealous? You're jealous when I spend to much time with JASPER, and I'm not even _INTO_ guys!"_

_Maria scoffed angrily, "This conversation is over Alice."_

_"Yeah, so are we." As soon as she said it, Maria's jaw dropped. _

_"What..?"_

_"You heard me." Alice replied bitterly, "if you loved me you would trust me, and if you trusted me you wouldn't be jealous of my FRIENDS. So we're over."_

* * *

"Just talk to her, Ali. Please." Angela pouted.

"Why do you want me to talk to her so badly?"

"She won't leave me alone." Angela confessed with a sigh. "Every night she calls me whining and upset about how you won't even talk to her."

Alice couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Seriously?"

"Seeeeriously." The other smirked. Suddenly Alice's phone erupted into vibrations once again. So suddenly it caused Alice to jump. Instantly Angela burst into laughter while Alice just shot a glare at her then glanced down at her phone.

Once again Bella's picture had popped up on her screen.

"Well don't just sit there! Answer the damn phone!"

Again Alice glared at Angela then ran her thumb over the lock. She then held the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" She asked softly into the phone as Angela got up to leave.

"_Alice?"_

"Yeah?"

* * *

Bella's POV:

I'm not sure how our conversation ended up with us planning a "date," but somehow it did. And that's how I ended up sitting in my car outside of Salty's; staring out at the ocean only a mile from where I was parked. The sandy beach was fairly empty considering it was beginning to get dark, and I couldn't help absentmindedly wondering if Alice would want to take a walk later. Then I mentally slapped myself for thinking something so cheesy. With a sigh, I let my eyes wonder towards the entrance of the restaurant. There, stood the beauty I had fallen head over heels for. She wore a LBD that made anyone passing by stop and stare. Her heels were probably two inches tall making her almost my height for once, and her hair..God her hair. For once it wasn't the usual spikes that made her look so young and adorable. No, tonight her hair was done in a way similar to that of an old movie star. She looked classy and – for once, grown up.

I suddenly felt under dressed. Sure I had dressed up, but I looked no where as near as gorgeous as Alice did. Slowly, I stepped out of the car, and made my way over to the entrance where Alice stood. As soon as she saw me, I saw a beautiful smile grace her lips. Sad thing was, it didn't meet her eyes.

"Hey..." I said softly.

I felt her eyes running over my body, taking in my appearance, and I watched as an amused smile appeared. "Hey." She replied just as softly before she released a soft chuckle. "Look at Bella, all dressed up for lil ol' me." I felt a blush burn my cheeks before I forced up a sheepish smile. "C'mon, Bells, lets go."

* * *

3rd Person POV:

The date was going rather smoothly at the beginning. The two joked casually, and the conversation flowed easily between them until Bella's phone went off. As soon as Bella looked down at the caller ID, her smile faded. She flipped her phone open and spoke into it. "Honey?" Alice's eyes shifted away from Bella, glancing down at her oysters.

"_Where are you?"_ The voice on the other side hissed out; causing Bella to flinch.

"I'm uh...out. I went to dinner with Alice since we haven't talked in a few days." Bella's eyes shifted towards Alice; watching momentarily as she pushed the oysters on the plate around with her fork.

Alice glanced up, meeting Bella's eyes. _Edward?_ She mouthed. Bella just nodded her head then sighed.

"_You're out with HER? ALONE?" _He shrieked causing Bella to flinch again.

"Yes. We were just talking about the wedding and the dress."

"Get ho-" Suddenly the phone call was cut off.

"H-hello? Edward? Hello?" Alice raised a questioning eyebrow. "I..guess the call got dropped..?"

Alice just shrugged her shoulders. "Guess so." The two sat in silence for several minutes before Alice spoke again. "Why are you marrying him?"

Bella had been in the process of getting a drink of tea, but began couching when she heard the question. "E-excuse me?" The bride-to-be asked.

"You heard me," Alice sighed, "why are you marrying him?" Bella just stared at Alice, unsure of what to say. She watched as Alice lowered her head again. Her hair hiding her eyes as she spoke. "What does he have that I _don't_?" She whispered, more to herself than Bella.

"Alice..." Bella whispered, reaching forward to take Alice's hand, but as soon as they made contact, Alice pulled her hand away. The younger woman looked up, liquid gold eyes meeting her own chocolate brown ones. And in that instant, Bella could not lie. She could not tell Alice anything but the truth. "You're perfect."

* * *

What happened next happened in a blur. One second Bella was confessing that she thought Alice was perfect, the next they were making out in the back of Alice's car. Raw, desperate, needing kisses were exchanged as the two proceeded. Hands roaming one another's body as Alice straddled Bella's waist. Then, just as Alice was beginning to lift Bella's shirt, her phone began to sing.

Alice groaned angrily and kissed Bella again. The kiss was short lived as Bella began to laugh which ultimately led to Alice laughing as well. Alice pressed her forehead to Bella's and sighed happily. "This phone call better be importantly." She heaved, her breath heavy and uneven from their actions just moments ago. Alice turned a bit and reached for her small purse, she pulled out her cellphone, her eyes widening as she saw the picture that popped up. She quickly unlocked the phone, "Eddie? HEEEEEEY! How's it goin'?"

"Edward?" Bella gasped out softly, her voice to soft for him to hear. Alice nodded, then bit her lip.

"_Why the fuck isn't Bella answering? You better be keeping your filthy hands to yourself, Mary." _Edward hissed.

Alice's free hand slipped beneath Bella's shirt, slowly ghosting over the bare flesh suddenly exposed to her wondering hand. "Fuck you. Not my fault she would probably prefer my hands all over her than yours." She retorted as she let her finger brush along the edge of Bella's bra; causing Bella to gasp out Alice's name in shock at both her actions and words.

Bella could hear Edward growling over the phone. "_You better keep your hands off my wife, you homo bitch." _

"She isn't your wife." Alice growled right back.

"_Yet,_" Edward stated triumphantly, "_but she will be in less than a month._" With that being said, Edward ended the call.

Leaving Alice angry and upset. "I...think I should go." Bella finally stated. Alice quickly looked up to meet Bella's eyes. Her eyes pleading Bella not to go, at least not yet. "Alice..Edward will be angry. I-I need to go."

"Please Bella, don't. Don't go yet, please." Alice laid her head down on Bella's shoulder, doing her best to hold back the tears that were once again threatening to fall. Bella couldn't resist Alice. Her arms wrapped easily around her slender waist, pulling her closer to her, holding her. "Thank you..." Alice whispered into her ear as she nuzzled into Bella's neck gently.

* * *

The two sat like that for an hour – at least. Alice snuggled into Bella's arms as she silently cried. The entire time Bella whispered soft, loving words to her. When eventually Alice's tears stopped, Bella cupped her cheeks and kissed her gently. "I love you." Alice suddenly blurted out. Her cheeks burned with a blush that grew with each second Bella was silent. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Bella. You – you don't have to..a-acknowledge that." Bella nodded silently.

"I really need to go, Ali...Edward is probably freaking out."

Alice's heart sank, she hadn't expected Bella to just leave. She expected something. A _I-love-you-but-not-that-way_, or maybe even an _I-love-you-too. _But nothing? Alice nodded her head then sighed as she climbed off Bella's lap. The two women stepped out of the car, and Alice turned away to get into the driver seat of her car when Bella reached for her wrist. "Alice.." The younger woman glanced towards the woman she was sure was her soul mate.

"Yeah?"

Bella stepped towards Alice as she turned to face her completely. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by Bella's lips pressing firmly to her own. She didn't hesitate to respond. Her lips moved eagerly against Bella's as her arms moved around her neck. Bella's hands moved to Alice's waist, kissing her with a passion not even Edward had felt. When finally the two parted for air, Bella pressed her forehead to Alice's and smiled. "I love you, too."

And with that, Bella broke away from Alice's grip. She pecked her lips again before leaving to find her car. Alice on the other hand stood that staring after her completely and utterly dumbfound. When finally she realized what had happened, a silly grin spread over her lips.

As Bella located her car and was climbing in she could have sworn she heard someone shouting at the top of their lungs: "_She loves me too~!"_

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_**A/N: Hey, so sorry the point of view changed so much during this chapter! O.O I was just trying something different. xD Lemme know whatcha think! :D So yeah. Reviews, constructive criticism, ext. It's all appreciated. :) **  
_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hey everyone! I am so, so, SO sorry to have kept you all waiting. I've been on a severe writers block for the past...god knows how long. Anyway. I'm really sorry, and I hope this chapter helps make up for it. :( I know some people were a little disappointed with my last chapter, and I apologize. I will try to make it up to you. I really hope this chapter is good enough. **_

* * *

He'd been planning it for several weeks now, even got Rosalie to agree to take Bella out for the day and his parents to stay at a hotel. One romantic night alone with the love of his life before their wedding. The living room - with the help of Emmett - had been transformed into a romantic evening dinner room. He had even cooked a full meal. Homemade! However, when he called his older sister, she seemed to have misplaced his lover.

"You WHAT?"

There was a sigh on the other end. "_I got a call from a client, and had to leave Bella at the mall. She was with Angela, so she's fine._" Rosalie repeated to her stubborn, hard-headed little brother.

"Well where is she now?" Edward groaned in annoyance.

"_How should I know? Do I look like her keeper?_"

"Good-bye Rosalie..." The man sighed, "Oh, and tell Em, thanks again."

"_Sure._"

With that the phone call ended, and Edward began to search through his phone for his fiance's number. Once dialed, the phone rang only twice before it was answered. "_Honey?_" Bella's voice asked sweetly. A small smile stretched over his lips.

"Where are you?" He questioned, instantly regretting how harsh his voice sounded at that moment.

There was silence on the other end for a moment. "_I'm uh...out._"Another pause. "_I went to dinner with Alice,_" Edward's jaw tightened at the sound of his sister's name, "_since we haven't talked in a few days._" Those few days had been some of the best days he had had in the past few months.

"You're out with **HER**? **ALONE**?" He shrieked angrily. Did she not understand that Mary Alice was a lesbian? That Bella was being far to friendly with someone who was practically an _abomination_ the Earth. Ok, well, maybe that was a little extreme, but still! What if her disgusting lesbian-ism rubbed off on his beloved Bella?

"_Yes. We're just talking about the wedding and the dress._"

"Get home as soon as you can, Love. Please? I've got something to show you." He said through clenched teeth. Edward waited for several minutes, waited for a reply, but nothing came. "Hello?" He called into the phone. Again there was nothing. "Hello? Bella?"

\x/x\x/

The next thirty calls to Bella went unanswered. Something that made him worry. Not only was she - was she alone with that..that..LESBIAN...but now she wasn't answering his calls. Edward paced back and forth in the living room. When finally he called again, someone answered. "Bella?" He asked, his voice excited and hopeful.

"_Eddie? HEEEEEEEY! How's it goin'?_" Mary Alice. Edward cringed then began to grind his teeth together. He faintly heard the voice of another woman in the background, but unfortunately for him could not identify who it was or what she said.

"Why the fuck isn't Bella answering? You better be keeping your filthy hands to yourself, Mary!" Edward hissed angrily.

"_Fuck you. Not my fault she would probably prefer my hands all over her than yours._" Low blow. A soft growl escaped from Edward's throat. Definitely a low blow, but he knew it was a lie. No way Bella would prefer that bitch over him...right? Then he heard something that made his jaw drop and eyes wide. His fiance gasped out his sister's name; though he wasn't sure why - he was sure it wasn't something good.

"You better keep your hands off my wife, you homo bitch." He growled, his voice filled with more rage than his previous statement.

"_She isn't your wife." _He heard Alice growl right back.

"Yet," Edward stated with as a smug grin stretched over his lips, "but she will be in less than a month." With that being said, Edward ended the call. But his smug grin vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. What if Mary was right? What if Bella did prefer her over her own fiance? What if Bella didn't want to marry him anymore? Suddenly his heart ached. He clenched his fist tightly; ignoring the sound of cracking plastic as his phone crumbled in the palm of his hand. "I have to be better than her..." He sighed to himself. "I have to be what she wants."

\x/x\x/

It had been over a hour since the call with Alice, and each with ever second that passed - Edward worried more and more that he was losing Bella to Mary Alice. Finally, Edward stood up. He blew out the single candle that sat in the middle of the small dining table. The food on both plates still untouched, but the bottle of wine that had been full when the evening started now laid empty on the floor. Just as Edward was about to retreat to his room, bright headlights flashed into the living room windows. Instantly, Edward shielded his eyes from the bright lights. He listened as the car's engine died, and the car's door opened then closed.

He watched as familiar figure came into his view. "Bella?" Edward asked softly. The body froze instantly at the sound of his voice.

"Er..E-Edward?"

"Bella.." Edward rushed towards her; pulling her body against his own roughly, and holding her close. He ran his fingers through the dark strands of hair as he pressed his cheek against the side of head. "Oh God, Bella...I was so worried. I thought - " His voice cracked as he spoke and he buried his face into the soft brown locks. "God, I thought you chose her..."

Bella stood there, allowing Edward to cling to her like a child. She listened as he confessed his fear, and she couldn't help the small twinge of guilt that hit her heart. She did love Edward, she really did. But Alice...Alice was so much different. Their love was so much different.

When finally Edward released her, Bella looked up into the emerald eyes she had once been so fond of. "I'm sor- " Edward reached down for Bella's hand, and turned to lead her towards the small set-up he had worked on all day. He beamed with joy when Bella gasped aloud. "Edward.." Chocolate brown hues met emerald orbs, and instantly Edward's smile dropped. In her eyes he saw the pain, the confliction, and the sorrow. "Edward, I'm so sorry..." Bella averted her gaze. She stared at the set-up. The home-made meal, the blown-out candle. "This is really beautiful Edward-"

"Bella, I love you. I want you to be my wife. I've known I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you since the day I met you. Please, please say you want the same." Edward's voice was so soft, so kind. The way it had been before they got to Forks, and for a moment, Bella almost fell for it. She warm, gentle kindness he offered was so tempting.

Bella stared up at him, her eyes still so sad, and for a long moment..she said nothing. Finally, she released a heavy breath and closed her eyes. Bella inhaled deeply then released. "Edward," she began, "I don't know what exactly is going on. With you, with me, with Alice. With anything. I don't understand what I'm feeling. What I do know is..." chocolate hues opened to peer up at her fiance, "what I do know is that I love you. But I also love Alice.

"I've been falling for her since the moment I met her. With her, things are so simple, so easy..."

"Bella, things are simple with me too.." Edward began.

"No," she interrupted, "no, Edward. It's not simple." For a brief moment, Bella's eyes seemed to harden in the darkness of the room. "You've hit me. You've caused me physical and mental pain. That complicates EVERYTHING." Edward cringed, "and to be completely honest - I want simple. I want easy."

* * *

_**A/N: Oooo~ Bella wants simple and easy. :o Anyways. That's chapter 9. I hope you all enjoyed it. As usual, reviews are welcome. So is constructive criticism. Like I said above, I have had a massive writers block for some time so my writing may be a bit sloppy. If so, I apologize. Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! :)  
**_


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